Category Archives: Vicksburg Bulldogs

The Comstock Colts started the 2017-18 girls basketball season with a win on their home court Tuesday, defeating the Vicksburg Bulldogs 58-39. Vicksburg had the game’s first bucket, but Comstock responded with a three-pointer and held the lead for the rest of the contest.

The Colts started with a 14-4 run, although their lead shrank to 17-10 after the first quarter. Comstock led by as many as 11 in the second half, but numerous Colt fouls sent Vicksburg to the line, allowing them to get back within six by halftime, 26-20. Comstock cleaned up their defense in the second half, fouling only twice, allowing them to assume control the rest of the way.

Comstock’s top scorers were Daisy Ansel with 16 and Ahkyla Blakely with 15. Vicksburg’s Hannah Vallier led all players with 18 points, including a 6-6 mark at the foul line.

The Colts stay at home for their next contest on Friday against Niles Brandywine. The Bulldogs continue their opening road trip, heading to league-foe Three Rivers Friday. Listen back to Tuesday’s game below:

Vicksburg ended last season at 10-11, second in the Wolverine Conference South division at 5-3. After a 3-8 start, the Bulldogs hit their stride in the second half of the season, finishing 7-3 in their final 10 games. Vicksburg lost seven seniors and both of their All-Wolverine selections, 1st-Teamer Layna Steele and honorable mention Kennedy Nabozny.

Comstock won last season’s meeting on the road, 51-43. Two seasons ago at Comstock, the Colts were 57-38 winners. They didn’t meet three seasons ago. As conference and division rivals four seasons ago, they split their two contests with the home team winning both times. Vicksburg’s last win over Comstock was 44-39 on December 3, 2014. Their last win at Comstock came January 26, 2012.

The Vicksburg Bulldogs used four takeaways to earn a 21-12 homecoming win Friday over Paw Paw. The win pushes them to 5-1, one away from clinching a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive year. Meanwhile, Paw Paw falls to 3-3 and must run the table to snap their three-year postseason drought.

The scoreless first quarter lasted all of 20 minutes, with both teams punting twice and having a turnover on downs. Vicksburg’s lone giveaway came on a Nick Schley interception in the red zone at the start of the second quarter. The Bulldogs forced a quick punt, then capped off a 49-yard drive with a 10-yard Garrett Ketelaar touchdown run with 6:55 remaining.

On the following drive, Paw Paw quarterback Jimmy Wressel had a pass tipped at the line, intercepted by a diving Ryan Morgan. Two plays later, Ketelaar was in the end zone again, this time on a nine-yard run. Wressel was picked off again near midfield, this time by Adam Henderson. Two plays later, Caleb Welch rushed for a 53-yard score, giving Vicksburg all 21 of their points within a four minute stretch. The Bulldogs held Paw Paw to only two first downs for the entire half and carried a 21-0 advantage into the break.

Paw Paw started strong in the third, taking the opening drive 63 yards on six plays with a 29-yard rushing score from Schley. A missed extra-point, hurt by a high snap, kept them behind 21-6. Paw Paw forced a punt, but surrendered their third interception shortly thereafter to Austin Bresnahan. Both teams would trade punts into the midway point of the fourth quarter.

Paw Paw pushed from their own 19 to the Vicksburg 19 with about seven minutes remaining. Tyler Pursley rushed ahead and got to the two-yard line before fumbling the ball, recovered by Vicksburg’s Henderson in the end zone for a touchback.

Paw Paw got it back after forcing a punt with five minutes to go and put together a 12-play, 54-yard scoring drive. Wressel sealed it with a QB sneak touchdown with 1:42 remaining, but couldn’t get to the pylon on the two-point conversion rush, keeping the game at two-possessions and ultimately out of reach for Paw Paw.

Unofficially, Ketelaar was 10-20 passing for 82 yards, along with 47 rushing yards and two scores. Welch led Vicksburg with 80 rushing yards, followed by 67 from Henderson. For Paw Paw, Wressel was 5-16 for 32 passing yards. Three players topped 100 rushing yards, Pursley (114), David Marshall (107), and Schley (104).

Vicksburg can clinch a playoff berth with a win next week against South Haven (0-6). Paw Paw hosts Allegan (1-5) for week seven. Listen back to week six’s game below:

Paw Paw opened with victories over Otsego (47-0) and Sturgis (28-14). Edwardsburg crushed Paw Paw 52-0 in week three, followed by Paw Paw blanking South Haven 49-0. Last week, Three Rivers spoiled Paw Paw’s homecoming with a 14-0 shutout by the Wildcats. Paw Paw has held opponents to two touchdowns or fewer in all but the Edwardsburg loss.

The Vicksburg Bulldogs grabbed a home sweep over the Plainwell Trojans Thursday evening, 25-21, 25-21, 25-22. Although Plainwell controlled the early part of the first set, Vicksburg got ahead by mid-set and stayed ahead throughout most of the second and third sets.

Unofficially, junior Kaytee Harvey topped the Bulldogs with 14 kills. Mackenzie Martin led the Trojans with six. Vicksburg moves to 2-0 in the Wolverine Conference and 5-3-3 overall, while Plainwell drops to 2-15 overall and 0-2 in the Wolverine. Both teams return to action Saturday in Battle Creek at the Lakeview Invite.

Listen live online Thursday around 6 p.m. on the Slocum Sports Network to high school volleyball from the Wolverine Conference. The Vicksburg Bulldogs host the Plainwell Trojans in their first volleyball encounter of 2017. Plainwell won both regular season contests against Vicksburg last year, along with the Wolverine Conference title. However, the Bulldogs had the last laugh with a Regional Semifinal victory over the Trojans.

Vicksburg’s first Wolverine match of 2017 was a three-set win at Allegan last Wednesday, while Plainwell was swept hosting South Haven. Plainwell enters the week at 1-13, although they’ve had a brutal tournament schedule including six matches against top ten ranked teams. Overall, the Bulldogs begin the week at 4-3-3.

The Vicksburg Bulldogs used a 21-0 fourth quarter to erase a 10-point hole and defeat the Dowagiac Chieftains 38-27 Thursday night. The home and season-opening win gives Vicksburg three consecutive victories over Dowagiac.

Vicksburg scored first, traveling 62 yards on their opening drive for a 20-yard Caleb Welch touchdown run. After trading punts, Vicksburg got a fumble recovery by Austin Bresnahan at their own 26-yard line. The Bulldogs would punt again and Dowagiac’s Caleb Murphy would take the punt to the end zone from 72 yards out with two seconds remaining in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-7.

Dowagiac claimed the lead for the first time midway through the second as Murphy intercepted Garrett Ketelaar and went 32 yards to the house. Vicksburg responded on the following drive and evened the game at 14-14 with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Ketelaar to Ryan Morgan.

Dowagiac punted, but got the ball back with 55 seconds left off a pick from Andrew McIntosh. They used 51 seconds to go 74 yards, grabbing a 21-14 lead into halftime off a 27-yard touchdown pass from Brenden Dudley to Jamin Hunt. The Chieftains also started the third quarter with the ball, but Vicksburg’s defense forced a three-and-out.

A 10-play, four-and-a-half minute drive culminated in a 32-yard Joe Brady field goal, putting Vicksburg within four, 21-17. The next Dowagiac drive went 65 yards, with 51 yards and a six-yard touchdown run coming from Murphy. The extra point was blocked, putting the score at 27-17 with 4:10 remaining in the third.

After trading punts, Vicksburg got back within three, thanks to a 34-yard touchdown pass from Ketelaar to Adam Henderson with 10:38 left. The Bulldog D forced another punt and with 8:13 remaining, DJ Bullock blocked Dudley’s punt, setting up a four-yard touchdown recovery for Shane Earl and a 31-27 Vicksburg lead.

Vicksburg forced another three-and-out, then punched into the end zone on a three-yard Ketelaar rush, which put him over 200 yards on the ground, with 5:01 on the clock for a 38-27 advantage. Dowagiac’s last drive ended in a turnover on downs, allowing the Bulldogs to drain the clock shortly after.

Unofficially, Ketelaar finished with 219 rushing yards on 31 attempts with one rushing touchdown, along with 79 pass yards and two scores. Dudley had 125 passing yards, going 11-24.

Next Thursday, Vicksburg travels to Allegan. Dowagiac has their home opener Thursday against Three Rivers. Listen back to Thursday’s game below:

Vicksburg had eight players earn all-conference honors last season, six of those players have graduated. Back for their senior campaigns are Austin Povlock and DJ Bullock, both of which received second-team honors on the defensive line.

Dowagiac finished 6-3, fourth in the Wolverine Conference standings last season. The Chieftains got a first round playoff victory over Buchanan 28-25, but lost 14-7 to Berrien Springs in the District final for a 7-4 overall mark. Like Vicksburg, Dowagiac had eight players with all-conference honors last season and only return two. Back are Caleb Murphy (first-team wide receiver) and Brenden Dudley (second-team punter).

Vicksburg won last season’s opener at Dowagiac 17-7. Two seasons ago, the Bulldogs dominated the Chieftains for a 35-0 win. Despite the recent success, Vicksburg is 4-9 all-time against Dowagiac, according to Michigan-Football.com.

The Vicksburg High School baseball team topped Otsego and Three Rivers Saturday to win District 47 at Three Rivers. Vicksburg had a 2-1 walk-off win over the Wildcats in the semifinal, then downed Otsego in the final, 8-0. Otsego made it through after a 7-1 victory over Plainwell earlier.

Strong pitching and defense was key in both wins for the 10th-ranked Bulldogs. Against Otsego, only the pitch count rule prevented Ryan Morgan from completing a shutout. He finished with five hits and two walks allowed over 6.2 innings with ten strikeouts. Vicksburg jumped ahead immediately with four hits and an error leading to four runs in the first inning.

“To have that time off (between games) and then come right back and out of the gate, put four up in the first inning, says a lot about our guys having that focus of getting that next win,” said Vicksburg coach Brian Deal.

They added three more in the fifth and one in the sixth, getting 11 hits total. Otsego starting pitcher Jayden Dentler lasted four innings, allowing six runs, three earned, and seven hits. Otsego ends the season at 20-16-1.

Vicksburg won the opening game in a 2-1 pitching duel over the host Three Rivers. Both teams scored their first run in the fifth inning. Three Rivers led off the seventh with a hit, but the runner was caught stealing. After a strikeout, the Wildcats doubled, but Brenden Lovell got a ground out to get out of the jam. In the bottom of the frame, Garrett Ketelaar drew a lead-off walk for Vicksburg. After an error, walk, and strikeout, Josh Povlock brought in Ketelaar for the winning run.

Povlock had both Vicksburg RBI. Lovell finished with a complete game win, allowing five hits, one earned run, and two walks with eight strikeouts. Alex Minger went 6.1 innings for Three Rivers, allowing three hits, two runs, one earned, with four walks and three strikeouts. The senior-heavy Wildcats finish at 18-14.

“It was a grind right from the start,” said Deal. “I can’t say enough about that Minger kid, he did a great job.”

Vicksburg advances to Regional 12 at Edwardsburg next Saturday and will meet seventh-ranked Stevensville Lakeshore at 10 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., Edwardsburg, who split the Wolverine Conference crown with Vicksburg, plays Harper Creek. The winners face off for a trip to the quarterfinals. Vicksburg now sits at 29-10 and will see the Lancers for the second time, having lost to Lakeshore 9-4 back in a tournament game on May 13.

“They’re very well coached,” said Deal. “They will push you; they bunt, they run, they play the game really well.”

“We saw a couple of their better pitchers, they didn’t see our better pitchers, so maybe that gives us a little bit of an advantage going in. Those two guys (Lovell and Morgan) are two of the best guys in the area as far as I’m concerned. We run those guys out there and we feel like we’ve got a chance against most teams. Starting pitching and quality defense certainly keeps you in games.”

In Saturday’s second district game, Otsego beat Plainwell 7-1 on a strong outing from Derek Slocum, who gave up one earned run, three hits, and five walks over six innings. Will Eldred scored three runs. Plainwell’s Hunter Nielsen got all but one out, allowing seven runs, two earned, with six hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Plainwell ends the year at 11-14.

Game two sees 17-15-1 Otsego against 11-13 Plainwell. They split their regular season games at Otsego on April 25, with a 3-2 Trojan win and a 7-6 Bulldog win. Last year’s district title went to Sturgis, who was eliminated Tuesday.